A Misplaced Beauty in Jarl Balgruuf's Court
by Red Swarm
Summary: Lydia Baldwin loved the video game Skyrim. She never dreamed she would be transported into the game. Stuff like that only happened in books or movies right? *On temporary hiatus while I work on my other stories. I will get back to this I promise*
1. Chapter 1: The calm before the storm

Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim. It belongs to Bethesda Studios. I am just playing on their stage.

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><p>Modern DaySomewhere over Georgia

Lydia Baldwin relaxed back into her airline seat. It was her first time flying first class. But she supposed she could get used to this, now that she was becoming famous in her own right.

That very morning she had stood in front of television cameras, discussing her victory, in a reality television wilderness survival show. She attributed her success to the late Earl Baldwin, an award-winning wildlife photographer. He adopted her as an infant, after being abandoned in a public restroom. He had always assured her she was the best thing in his life.

The two of them spent years trekking in the wilderness, photographing animals in their natural habitat. Earl Baldwin taught her survival skills. He also kept her balanced, by encouraging her personal interest in archery and martial arts. But, mostly he had loved her unconditionally. She missed the old man dearly.

A soft cough distracted Lydia from her musing. Sprawled on the seat next to her was her sword and fencing instructor Alistair Kent. He was striking with the well-defined muscles of someone who spent hours hefting huge swords. He was a disciplined but hard taskmaster who encouraged her to be her best.

As a collector of antique weapons and armor, he loved to spend time attending medieval fairs and cultural events. Lydia secretly believed he would have made a great knight. In fact, his wife often joked he was born in the wrong time period.

Lydia knew this because his wife her best friend Grace, was sitting opposite Alistair smirking at her. She was never concerned about Lydia eyeballing her man. It didn't bother her.

Grace and Lydia grew up together. They were polar opposites who managed to become lifelong friends.

Lydia's best feature was her expressive brown eyes. She favored French manicures, and casual clothes. Her dark hair fell in unruly waves and she rarely wore make-up.

Her main concession to a beauty routine, was to bleach her freckles with lemon juice during the summer. However, physical fitness was her passion. The overall impression she gave, was an outdoors type who cleaned up well when she wanted to.

On the other hand, Grace was a classical beauty who lived up to her name. She carried her petite curvy body with confidence. She favored designer clothes, and followed the latest hair and nail trends.

Lydia often teased her about constantly changing her hair color. But she managed to pull it off. She came across as poised, elegant and groomed to perfection.

Lydia noticed an unusual amount of tension coming from Grace and Alistair. He seemed nervous. Grace smiled encouragingly at him.

Lydia couldn't hide her curiosity "What's up guys?".

Alistair started to speak, but Grace cut him off and said, "Please be open-minded".

Lydia glanced back and forth between the couple wondering why they suddenly seemed guarded.

Alistair spent a few minuets gathering his thoughts. Finally, he spoke quietly, "In 1485 a knight in the service of Richard Plantagenet received a vision from Ellyn the wise, the most powerful witch of his time. He learned his family line was fated to die with him at the Battle of Bosworth Field. But, the witch offered him a pact which would change his future."

Lydia couldn't hide her confusion, "A witch? A pact?".

Alistair captured and held her gaze before continuing, " If he returned a magical amulet to it's true owner, he would find love and be granted heirs. The knight accepted since the promised reward was immeasurable. But, he hadn't yet learned, that cheating fate would enact its own price. Even Ellyn had no idea his true love didn't exist in that time and place. So he sacrificed his honor, and betrayed his king in those dealings with the witch".

Lydia didn't know what to think,"Where is all this coming from?".

The light in Alistair's eyes became more intense,"What if I told you time travel is real? I swear on my honor I'm Alistair the Brave. I traveled through time to this time period."

Lydia sputtered. "How much have you had to drink Al?" she began cautiously.

His answer was to rummage in his pocket, withdrawing a leather thong necklace with an ice blue pendant. It was exquisitely carved with strange runes. In spite of herself, Lydia reached for it.

He moved it out of her reach, "You have to accept it before you touch it. Allow me to explain what you're getting into. When Ellyn the witch cast a seeker spell on this amulet, she promised a path to my true love. None of us expected I would travel through time itself to find Grace. My personal code of honor compels me to complete my promise and offer this amulet to it's owner."

He turned the stone over to reveal what looked like a stylized letter Z curved into the back. It was familiar to Lydia.

She laughed "Grace knew about my birthmark. Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

Alistair closed his eyes as if he was in pain, " When we went swimming yesterday I recognized your birthmark. That's when I realized the owner of this amulet has been right under my nose for years".

Lydia believed her friends were trying to prank her. The pendant had to be a custom-made. elaborate joke. She decided to go along with it. " Tell me more," she said.

Alistair sighed, "Look Lydia I don't know what happens if you accept this. Just let me keep it. If you say no I have a loophole to destroy it.

Lydia knew she would never live this down. But, there was something compelling about the stone. She held out her hand, "It's mine right? Let me have it".

His face fell, " Look I'm begging you don't!"

Her opinion of his acting skills raised a notch. She wiggled her eyebrows, "Hand it over."

His eyes were expressing a range of emotions from panic to resignation. He hesitated before passing it to her. All he said was, "You have been warned".

Lydia sighed dramatically "you're such a drama king."

The pendant felt warm to the touch. Up close it reminded her of turquoise. But it was actually clear with lots of little ice blue runes pulsing inside. She had never seen anything like it.

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><p><strong>Authors Note<strong>: I have several pairing in mind for this story. But they are not set in stone at at this time. Please feel free to review or leave feedback. I would love to know what you think of my stories. The inspiration for this story is a real life dream about Skyrim.


	2. Chapter 2: Disbelief

I don't own Skyrim. no copyright infringement is intended

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><p>Lydia never could recall exactly what had happened next. Faint disembodied voices were calling her name. One minute she felt light-headed, and the next she could smell manure in the air.<p>

She could hear the distinct sounds of a stable, horses blowing and moving around. The jingle of tack, soft nickers. Gradually she became aware she was sitting on something prickly like straw. She felt chilly air brush over her and opened her eyes. First she noticed gray cloudy skies.

She was wedged between wooden barrels in an open stall. A small incline gave way to a cobblestone road. A horse hitched to a wagon sat on the side of the roadway. Stone fences and structures which reminded her of gazebos dotted the landscape.

In the distance she could make out a round tower against a backdrop of a mountain range. This place seemed vaguely familiar. She felt something slide off her leg. The amulet lay in the straw next to her purse.

Lydia hesitated slightly before picking up the necklace. There was something different about it. She looked closer. It was no longer pulsing. Once again it was an ice blue carved stone.

Feeling dizzy and disoriented, it didn't occur to her to question her surroundings. It was almost like waking up from anesthesia. Lydia closed her eyes content to remain where she was.

As she began to doze off footsteps alerted her that someone was coming. A middle-aged man carrying a burlap sack walked around the corner.

His outfit consisted of a badly stained white peasant style shirt covered by a faded green thigh length vest . His hide boots reminded her of moccasins.

He stopped abruptly as surprised to see her as she was him. When he spoke she could barely understand his heavily accented words, "The Bannared Mare rents rooms for sleeping damsel. Or were you looking to buy a horse? I have the finest steeds in all of Skyrim".

Lydia felt the fog lifting from her brain. She blinked several times. Even then she didn't believe her eyes. She was standing in Whiterun stables! She recognized the place.

Her brain began to seek a logical explanation for all of this. Skyrim is fictional place in a video game. So this had to be a dream, a realistic dream, but still a dream! Oh this was going to be awesome fun! She couldn't wait to write about it on the forums when she woke up.

She stood quickly breathing in air so fresh it made her head ring. She took one step forward and almost tripped over the carry on bag sitting near her feet. The man who appeared Nordish dropped his burlap sack and quickly steadied her. He reached down and handed her the luggage before clearing his throat, "damsel?'.

Lydia shook her head and brushed pass him. It felt so surreal to be in Skyrim! The cobblestones under her feet were crisp and icy. White plumes of breath escaped her mouth, as she walked towards the drawbridge. Familiar banners flapping in the breeze, greeted her arrival at the wide open gates. The single guard on duty waved her through, "The gates close at dusk damsel".

Lydia paused taking in her first view of Whiterun. There were people milling about. A few guards were talking loudly among themselves. Scents of peat, wood smoke and baking bread mingled heavily in the air. Young children chased one another in a game of tag. Their voices rose daring a blonde girl to catch them. A childish giggle caught her attention. She turned fascinated by what she was seeing.

A woman was goofing about playing with a dark-haired toddler who was laughing at her antics. The child rode on the shoulders of a man who could only be Ulfberth War-Bear.

Except for being a tad younger, he was exactly as depicted in-game, same dark hair, same intense eyes. The main difference was his clothes. This nord wore a sleeveless white tunic belted at the waist, and dark pants stuffed into knee high cross gartered boots. Instead of steel gauntlets, he wore heavy gold armbands. She had noticed only the guards were wearing armor.

Lydias eyes drifted to the woman. Was that Adrianne Avenicci? This girl looked young enough to be a teenager. Her long brown hair caught up in a fat braid,fell past her butt. Her muscular arms strained the fabric of her rust colored dress. Maybe from welding blacksmith hammers? The couple must have felt her staring, because they both turned to her. Adrianne's face was questioning. Ulfberth's seemed wary and hard to read.

He took two steps towards her,"Are you here for the regimentals lass?" he asked watching her dubiously. "We offer fine armor if you have the coin," he added. Lydia wanted to keep a low profile. She shook her head and moved to walk on. Adrianne spoke up, "Give us a chance. I may not be Eourland Graymane, but I have fine steel fit for the Jarl himself".


	3. Chapter 3: Reality

Skyrim belongs to Bethesta Studios. I own nothing. This story is still semi on hiatus but I'm going to update it as often as I can. This is short but I wanted to go ahead and update. The next chapter will be longer.

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><p>Adrianne spoke up, "Give us a chance. I may not be Eourland Graymane, but I have fine steel fit for the Jarl himself".<p>

Lydia hesitated and scenting a sale Adrianne rushed over the full weapon rack standing in front of War Maidens. Lydia reluctantly stepped over to browse. Lydia was thinking Alistair would love these handcrafted weapons. She noticed a Steel Greatsword and grasped it firmly in two hands to lift it off the rank.

But then she gasped as she stumbled back a step almost falling on her butt. She had overcompensated for its weight and the momentum carried her back. Drawing from her longsword training with Alistair, Lydia balanced herself took a few swings testing the blade.

Lydia stared at the sword in her hands with disbelief. This thing should weigh three to seven pounds but it was no heavier than a butter knife and perfectly balanced. She could even weld it single highhandedly. Then she laughed at herself this was a dream. The laws of physics don't apply in dreamland. She was much stronger here.

"If you buy it I can check it into the armory for you," said Adrianne. Lydia jumped slightly she had forgotten the other woman was standing there. Adrianne must have noticed her confusion and hastened to explain, "Outsiders check their weapons at the gate damsel. Except for the bow, only the guards and The Companions are allowed to have weapons in the city." "

Lydia put the sword back, "I'll think about it" she said.

Ulfbert was watching her speculatively, "You're quite expert with that greatsword damsel. Where were you trained?" he asked.

"Kent's Society For the Preservation of Historic Swordsmanship," She answered truthfully.

He inclined his head and said, "Good Day damsel."

Taking that as her cue to leave Lydia wondered past Breeze House. She began to notice some differences. This Whiterun had more houses. A two story stone structure stood behind the Guard Barracks. Down by the market stalls she made a game of identifying people. They all looked different than their in game counterparts.

Carlotta Valentia turned out to be a bewitching beauty. Her vivid green eyes a sharp contrast to jet black glossy hair. Ysolda's facial features were similar but more refined than in game. Her hair fell half way down her back and she was heavily pregnant.

Anoriath was a shock. Lydia knew elves existed in Skyrim, but to see a living breathing one was a unique experience. There was something regal about him that she couldn't put a finger on.

Fralia Gray-Mane was talking and joking withe Olfrid Battle-Born. Apparently there was no family feud.

There was a new building just past the alleyway between the inn and Acadia's Cauldron. Lydia went to investigate but a guard told her the bathing house was closed. Through the door she could see what looked like a stone swimming pool.

Lydia went back to the market stalls and hung around the listening to gossip. Apparently the Jarl was getting a new court mage. Farengar Secret-Fire was to replace the recently deceased Ellyn the Wise.

Lydia's heart started pounding. Ellyn the Wise? Wasn't that the witch who gave the pendant to Alistair? She told herself to calm down and remember she was dreaming. But she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling. To distract herself she went to the Cloud District. The Gildergreen was full of lush green leaves. The Shrine of talos was still there without a priest

Lydia tried to visit Jorrvaskr but the doors were locked. She skipped the sky forge. The city guards barred the steps to Dragons Reach. She was told she couldn't just walk into the palace uninvited unless the Jarl was holding court. So she spent her time wandering around enjoying the Skyrim experience.

Soon it was almost dusk and the vendors were packing up for the day. It was starting to drizzle and Lydia was at loose ends. Idly she wondered what her character would do and snorted under her breath. The dragonborn would go out and exp. An actual human would be better off finding lodging for the night. Lydia walked over to the Bannered Mare opened the door and walked inside.

Warmth enveloped her and the slightly smoky air stung her eyes. The interior was exactly as depicted in game. She noticed a couple sitting at the table by the kitchen. The only other patron was a slim man sitting on one of the bar stools. Lydia perched on the bar stool next to him and ordered food and drink.

Hulda a bubbly woman with laugh lines sat a large bowl of soup and two chunk of french bread in front of Lydia. She poured mead into a ironstone mug to go with the meal. Lydia dug through her carry-on bag for her portable jewelry case and laid it out on the counter so the contents were visible.

"What would you take for the food and a room for the night? she asked.

Hulda frowned slightly, "That's thirteen septims. If you don't have the gold maybe Belethor here will trade with you.

Lydia looked Belethor who was looking at her jewelry, "If you send some of this out to be enchanted at the college it would be a lot more valuable. I'll give you 40 for the lot."

Hulda pushed the jewelry back towards Lydia, "Don't let him cheat you that's fine craftsmanship even without enchantments. Talk to Fralia in the market she will trade honestly with you."

Lydia gathered her things and said, "Then I can't pay you. May I sit by your fire?".

Hulda sighed, "I would trade for your hosiery."

Lydia frowned at glanced down at her overnight bag where a pair of thick socks were hanging out. She handed them to Hulda. The woman all but snatched them and was staring at them in wonder. "What a fine weave on this," she gushed.

Lydia looked down at her own clothes, basic jeans, over-sized turtle neck shirt. she carried her suede coat with a detachable fleece lining. On her feet she wore a pair of Uggs. She found it ironic that her clothes were more valuable than expensive jewelry.

Lydia was pensive as she took a bite of her stew. It was finally sinking in that this was not a dream. First of all this place was way to detailed to be a dream. Second of all she'd been here hours without waking up. Then there was all the fuss about Farengar Secret-Fire replacing Ellyn the Wise. Apparently the woman who sent her here had died taking her secrets with her.

"When you are ready, I will show you to your room," said Hulda pulling her out of her thoughts.

It occurred to Lydia she would have to find a way to support herself. "I'm looking for work," she told Hulda.

The woman reached under the bar and pulled out a parchment, "Take a look at this the Jarl has put out a bounty on the bandit leader at White River Watch."

Lydia felt sick. Bandits or not these would be living people not some computer generated image. She just couldn't see herself running around killing real people. Maybe she could become a hunter and sell game.

Belethor spoke up, "Not your thing damsel? The regimentals are ending tomorrow. Maybe you should try out."

"Regimentals?" she asked.

Belethor smirked at her, " Commander Ciaus is holding tryouts for the city guard posts. If you get in you could be sent anywhere in the hold. There is no guarantee you would stay here in Whiterun."

Lydia thought it was a good idea to sleep on it. "I'm ready for that room now," she told Hulda and followed the woman up the familiar ladder into the loft room. Hulda placed a stack of folded cloths on the bed,"This will get you into the bath damsel."

Lydia amused herself by sitting on the loft watching patrons fill up the tavern. The bards arrived and the dancing began. Lydia found herself thinking it wasn't that different than a modern bar scene. Eventually she went to bed. She was used to sleeping with the television on so all the noise from downstairs didn't bother her. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and she drifted to sleep.

Lydia wasn't sure what woke her. Diffused sunlight coming through the boards of the roof made patterns on the bed. Everything was quiet so she figured it had to be early. She climbed out of bed knocking the folded cloths from last night on the floor. Upon closer examination they were some type of towels wrapped around a rough looking white bar of soap.

Oh a bath would be heavenly maybe she could have the place to herself. Lydia shipped into her two piece swimsuit and wrapped one of the towels around her. It would be weird bathing in a swimsuit but she didn't remember the bathing pools having a door. she imagined there was a privacy curtain to show the room was occupied but she wasn't taking any chances. She really didn't want to flash anyone.

Grabbing the soap and extra towel she quietly went down the ladder and out the door. Not a soul was around when she made her way into the bathing enclosure. She came to an abrupt stop. Standing waist deep in the water, wet black hair slicked back, stem from the water rising around him like a mist was Vilkas. Lydia squealed and slapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh I am so sorry." she said through her fingers.

He reacted by instantly tensing up and looking around, "What's the matter damsel? is there danger?" he asked in a deep baritone.

Lydia just stared at him. Why was he standing there like this was perfectly normal? Then she thought maybe it was. In the middle ages it was considered normal for males to bathe out in the open.

"Is she addled Vilkas?" asked a female voice. She looked over and saw Fralia with an older man probably Eourland. It appeared he had been helping wash her hair. Fraila was wearing a cloth wrapped around her body. It was tied under her arm and was split on the side allowing access for bathing. The man was in the buff fortunately the water covered him.

Suddenly it was just to much. Lydia didn't want to adjust to a medieval culture. She wanted to go home.

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><p>AN: Please feel free to leave me some feedback and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading this.


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